YANGON Region sees over 490,000 acres of various winter crops and over 16,000 acres of edible oil crops cultivation this year, according to the region’s Department of Agriculture.

After harvesting monsoon paddy, winter crops have been grown as a double crop: 60,451 acres of black gram, 421,045 acres of mung bean and 9,009 acres of other pulses, totalling 490,505 acres. There are also 4,441 acres of peanut, 3,833 acres of sesame and 8,001 acres of sunflower plantations, totalling 16,279 acres.

The staff also conduct edu­cating programmes for the farm­ers regarding the farming tech­niques, successful plantation of winter crops and explanation of plantation rates.

“ We are conducting aware­ness programmes for farmers so they can expand the cultivation of oil crops and pulses year by year and achieve target yields. We are also assisting with techni­cal support, irrigation water, and other needs. For example, sun­flower cultivation has increased from over 4,500 acres last year to more than 8,000 acres this year. We have arranged the seeds for the farmers at affordable prices, and we believe farmers are satis­fied with these high-yielding and successful results,” said Daw Hla Kyi, assistant director of the department.

With funding from the State Economic Promotion Fund, 8,945.20 tonnes of urea fertilizer and 7,000 tonnes of compound fertilizer were distributed in a timely manner to ensure ade­quate inputs for winter crops. Pulses are being cultivated in 14 townships of seven districts, while oil crops such as peanut, sesame, and sunflower are be­ing grown in 16 townships in the same seven districts. — Nyein Thu (MNA)/KTZH